Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

The Weinberg Lab has an opening for a highly creative and motivated postdoctoral fellow with an interest in development of the human thymus. Successful candidates will join the Pediatric Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine.

Our group aims to integrate cellular and molecular studies of the interactions between thymic epithelial cells (TEC) of the thymic microenvironment and immature thymocytes, the progenitors of mature T-lymphocytes. The studies use unique methods to understand both normal human thymic development and that occurring in relatively common disorders like the Deletion 22q11 (DiGeorge) syndrome. The studies are integrated into a vibrant international collaboration to understand critical events in thymic organogenesis, delineate subsets of TEC, and their interactions with thymocytes. An important goal of these studies is to develop innovative stem cell based approaches to cure patients whose thymus did not develop normally.

The applicant must be PhD (immunology, cell biology or molecular biology) or MD/PhD graduate with:

· Strong publication record in peer-reviewed journals in at least one of the following areas: immunology, stem cell biology, transplantation, microbiology and infectious diseases, immunodeficiencies, gene transfer.

· Outstanding personal initiative and communication skills.

· Excellent molecular and cell biology skills with a strong background in immunology.

Candidates with experience in developmental biology and immunology are encouraged to apply.

Candidates should email an updated CV, complete contact information for three references and a cover letter describing their past research experience, career goals and a statement of future research interest (1-2 pages) to Ginger Exley at gexley@stanford.edu.

The Weinberg Lab has an opening for a highly creative and motivated postdoctoral fellow with an interest in studies of human lymphoid progenitor cells. Successful candidates will join the Pediatric Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine.

Our group aims to understand the processes by which human lymphoid progenitors are generated from hematopoietic stem cells (HSC). Using clonal analyses, we have recently identified common lymphoid progenitors (CLP) in human marrow, which like their murine counterparts, give rise to T, B, and NK lymphocytes but not other lineages. While lacking self-renewal capacity, human CLP can expand and generate large numbers of diverse lymphocyte progeny. Central to the analyses of the differentiation potential of human CLP is a unique cell culture system which permits limiting dilution analyses of multipotent progenitors capable of differentiation into all lymphohematopoietic lineages. The studies are a collaboration between the laboratories of Ken Weinberg and Irv Weissman in the Stem Cell Institute at Stanford aimed at developing CLP as a novel cell therapy which can rapidly reconstitute immune function, e.g., after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Delineation of human CLP and related subpopulations, their precursors and their progeny by analyses of gene and protein expression, and in vitro and in vivo differentiation;

Development of strategies to expand human CLP for transplantation.

Requirements:

The applicant must be PhD (immunology, cell biology or molecular biology) or MD/PhD graduate with:

· Strong publication record in peer-reviewed journals in at least one of the following areas: immunology, stem cell biology, transplantation, microbiology and infectious diseases, immunodeficiencies, gene transfer.

· Outstanding personal initiative and communication skills.

· Excellent molecular and cell biology skills with a strong background in immunology.

Candidates with experience in stem cell biology, hematopoiesis, and immunology are encouraged to apply.

Candidates should email an updated CV, complete contact information for three references and a cover letter describing their past research experience, career goals and a statement of future research interest (1-2 pages) to Ginger Exley at gexley@stanford.edu.

The Roncarolo Laboratory has an opening for a highly creative and motivated postdoctoral fellow with an interest in immune tolerance. Successful candidates will join the Pediatric Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine.

Our group aims to integrate findings from mechanistic and functional studies in genetic and acquired diseases of the immune system to progress towards treatments of immune-mediated diseases. We are interested in understanding the pathways involved in inducing and maintaining immune tolerance by investigating T regulatory lymphocytes and identifying genes whose disruption leads to autoimmunity and immune dysregulation.

Development of cell and gene therapy approaches in preclinical models and in patients with genetic and acquired autoimmunity.

Requirements:

The applicant must be PhD (immunology, cell biology or molecular biology) or MD/PhD graduate with:

· Strong publication record in peer-reviewed journals in at least one of the following areas: immunology, immunodeficiencies, autoimmunity, stem cell biology, gene transfer.

· Outstanding personal initiative and communication skills.

· Excellent molecular and cell biology skills with a strong background in immunology.

Candidates with experience in human sample handling and flow cytometry are encouraged to apply.

Candidates should email an updated CV, complete contact information for three references and a cover letter describing their past research experience, career goals and a statement of future research interest (1-2 pages) to Alma Cepika at acepika@stanford.edu.

The Czechowicz Laboratory has an opening for a creative, collaborative and motivated postdoctoral fellow with an interest in hematopoiesis, bone marrow transplantation (BMT), bone marrow failure (BMF), Fanconi Anemia (FA) and/or DNA damage/repair pathways. The successful candidate will join the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine and will be expected to lead several exciting and innovative projects.

Our laboratory has previously conducted pioneering work demonstrating that hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) depletion is a critical component to donor HSC engraftment. We have developed multiple pre-clinical agents that enable safe and targeted HSC conditioning, several of which are turning into promising clinical monoclonal antibody therapies. We are now using these agents as probes to understand underlying hematopoietic biology and are applying these to the treatment of candidate diseases of great need. We are primarily focused on blood and immune diseases, but this work could also potentially be expanded to other organ systems as well.

The postdoctoral fellow selected to join the laboratory will use the conditioning agents we have developed to further understand and improve bone marrow transplantation, with specific focus on optimizing transplantation in mouse models for Fanconi Anemia which will be subsequently translated into clinical trials.

Potential specific project aims include:

Studying the effects of anti-HSC antibodies alone and in combination with non-genotoxic immunosuppression prior to BMT in FA mouse models

The postdoctoral fellow will have individualized mentorship tailored to his or her personal career and publications goals including regular meetings with Dr. Czechowicz to guarantee a successful fellowship. The fellow will engage in a vibrant scientific discourse with the Stanford stem cell community and enjoy a positive and impact-oriented work environment. The fellow will also be expected to occasionally teach or mentor students and to help foster a productive learning environment, and additionally the fellow will have opportunities for clinical and translational exposure if interested.

It is intended that postdoctoral fellows will contribute to making important biomedical discoveries and simultaneous grow through this position and develop the skills necessary to become strong contributors to the advancement of science and/or medicine. It is an ideal role for fellows looking for subsequent opportunities in academia, industry or other associated business areas.

Requirements:

Postdoctoral fellow candidates must have a PhD or MD/PhD. Candidates must have gained knowledge in hematopoiesis and bone marrow transplantation, and be interested in bone marrow failure. In order to be considered, candidates should have:

Please email an updated CV, complete contact information for three references and a short cover letter describing past research experience, career goals and a statement of future research interest (1 page) to Beatrice Raquel Ochoa at beatrice.ochoa@stanford.edu.

The Bertaina Laboratory has multiple openings for highly creative and motivated postdoctoral fellows with an interest in stem cell transplantation and molecular/genomic characterization and therapeutic targeting of leukemia stem cells in pediatric hematologic malignancies. Successful candidates will join the Pediatric Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine.

Our group aims to understand how gd T-cells immune reconstitution (especially after ab T-cell depleted haploidentical stem cell transplantation) impact on the outcome of children affected by either malignant and life-threatening non-malignant disorders. gd T-cells combine conventional adaptive features with rapid, innate-like responses that place them in the initiation phase of immune reactions. In addition, they recognize tumor cells without recourse to the classical major histocompatibility complex (MHC) presentation. For this reason, they are the ideal cellular target for strategies of immunotherapy.

We also are interested in identifying new biomarkers of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), a severe, sometime fatal immune-mediate post-transplant complication. Increasing our basic science understanding, will help us to develop novel target to expand treatment options for this disease. To do so, we are studying small molecules of RNA (microRNA), their target proteins and, in parallel, cytokines secreted in the serum. Our laboratory is planning to use a variety of exciting new tools and methods to unlock future discoveries.

Moreover, we are investigating Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia (JMML), a rare and aggressive leukemia of early childhood characterized by aberrant proliferation of myelomonocytic cells, progressive anemia, thrombocytopenia, hepatosplenomegaly and high fetal hemoglobin levels. The prognosis of JMML is poor and, so far, the only curative treatment is allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. This highlights the urgent need to develop novel therapeutic approaches able to improve the current treatment results in JMML patients. To address this goal, the mechanisms of JMML leukemogenesis must be elucidated in order to be pharmacologically targeted.

All these projects have the potential for highly informative and very productive findings in terms of publication and innovative clinical implications.

Regular meetings between post-doctoral fellows and PI will be assured to guarantee that mutual expectations and goals are met.

Requirements:

Candidates must have a PhD or MD/PhD in which s/he has gained knowledge in cell and molecular biology, stem cell biology, developmental biology, immunology, or cancer biology.

Candidates should have demonstrated ability to work independently, self-initiative, attention to details, be dedicated and self-motivated. Collaborative team spirit, strong communication skills, positive attitude and adherence to highest ethical principles are necessary to be considered.

Candidates with prior experience in flow cytometry, molecular/genomic characterization of leukemia stem cells, mouse handling, proteomics and genomics are strongly encouraged to apply. Please email an updated CV, complete contact information for three references and a short cover letter describing their past research experience, career goals and a statement of future research interest (1 page) to Elizabeth Alarcon at elarcon@stanford.edu.

Application

The postdoctoral fellowship program provides research opportunities for those who have earned a Ph.D. in an appropriate area in the past three years. They are appointed as Postdoctoral Fellows at Stanford. Fellows are expected to interact with Stanford faculty members in research projects of mutual interest. Applications for Fellowships are reviewed on case to case basis.